The VideoLAN Forums

Posted: **15 Jan 2021 07:34**

Using VLC to transcode via a VLM and I can not work out how to get VLC to quit if it stops transcoding the stream.

VLC is being started with

Code: Select all

/usr/bin/vlc -I telnet --telnet-password=${PASSWORD} --telnet-port=${PORT} --drop-late-frames --skip-frames --play-and-exit --no-daemon --adaptive-logic=${VLC_ADAPTIVE_LOGIC} --adaptive-maxwidth=${VLC_ADAPTIVE_WIDTH} --adaptive-maxheight=${VLC_ADAPTIVE_HEIGHT} --adaptive-bw=${VLC_ADAPTIVE_BITRATE} --vlm-conf=/vlc/stream.vlm

Where the VLM is simply

Code: Select all

del all

new stream broadcast enabled
setup stream option network-caching=1000
setup stream input "http://example.com/stream/abcnews24" loop
setup stream output #transcode{venc=x264{preset=ultrafast},vcodec=h264,threads=4,vb=1000}:duplicate{dst='rtp{access=udp,mux=ts,ttl=15,dst=234.0.1.1,port=1234,sdp=sap://,group="News",name="ABC News 24"}'}

control stream play

If VLC stops streaming for some reason VLC logs this (but does not quit)

Code: Select all

2x3_1         | [00007f33b3b8e5b0] stream_out_transcode stream out: aspect-ratio changed, reiniting. 1 -> 0 : 1 -> 1.
2x3_1         | [00007f33b27bd500] x264 encoder error: Input picture width (720) is greater than stride (0)

And so I am stuck.

I've been told to build a whole tool using the telnet interface to interrogate VLC - but that doesn't help - because the stream shows as playing (it's not) and `is_playing` always returns `0` even when it _is_ working.

Code: Select all

workstation:~ troy$ telnet streaming.server.example.com 9999
Trying 10.0.0.1...
Connected to streaming.server.example.com.
Escape character is '^]'.
VLC media player 3.0.11.1 Vetinari
Password: 
Welcome, Master
> show stream
show
    stream
        type : broadcast
        enabled : yes
        loop : yes
        inputs
            1 : http://example.com/stream/abcnews24
        output : #transcode{venc=x264{preset=ultrafast},vcodec=h264,threads=4,vb=1000}:duplicate{dst='rtp{access=udp,mux=ts,ttl=15,dst=234.0.0.1,port=1234,sdp=sap://,group="News",name="ABC News 24"}'}
        options
            network-caching=1000
        instances
            instance
                name : default
                state : playing
                position : 0.000000
                time : 0
                length : 0
                rate : 1.000000
                title : 0
                chapter : 0
                can-seek : 0
                playlistindex : 1
>

Surely... there must be a way to know if VLC is actually outputting something... somehow?

Posted: **15 Jan 2021 16:49**

The whole point of VLM was to handle multiple streams. Of course it won't quit because of any given single stream.

Just don't use VLM.

Posted: **17 Jan 2021 10:54**

Thank you @Rémi Denis-Courmont

Changing to the below. How should I get VLC to quit when not using a VLM?

Code: Select all

/usr/bin/vlc -I telnet --no-repeat --no-loop "${VLC_SOURCE_URL}" --network-caching=${VLC_CACHE} --telnet-password="${PASSWORD}" --telnet-port=${PORT} --drop-late-frames --skip-frames --play-and-exit --no-daemon --adaptive-logic="${VLC_ADAPTIVE_LOGIC}" --adaptive-maxwidth=${VLC_ADAPTIVE_WIDTH} --adaptive-maxheight=${VLC_ADAPTIVE_HEIGHT} --adaptive-bw=${VLC_ADAPTIVE_BITRATE} --sout="${SOUT}" vlc://quit

Posted: **18 Jan 2021 22:10**

Per Remi's suggestion - I've stopped using a VLM, but VLC does exactly the same thing.

Surely it's not impossible to get VLC to quit when it has given up streaming?

I still can't write an expect script either - because VLC still shows streaming via the telnet interface.

*Stream Dead*

Code: Select all

> is_playing
1
> show
show
    media : ( 0 broadcast - 0 vod )
    schedule
> status
( new input: rtsp://user:password@rtsp.example.com/ )
( audio volume: 256 )
( state playing )

*Stream Alive*

Code: Select all

> is_playing
1
> show
show
    media : ( 0 broadcast - 0 vod )
    schedule
> status
( new input: http://hls.example.com/stream/1234 )
( audio volume: 256 )
( state playing )

Posted: **19 Jan 2021 21:15**

urely it's not impossible to get VLC to quit when it has given up streaming. Thanks for your help

Posted: **20 Jan 2021 03:30**

You have a solution @EduardoP ?

Posted: **20 Jan 2021 18:08**

The simplest way is to add vlc://quit at the end of the playlist.

Posted: **20 Jan 2021 22:58**

Per my example above @Remi - it is, and it doesn't quit.
Am I formatting it incorrectly?

Posted: **28 Jan 2021 21:36**

So, there is no way to quit VLC when a stream ends?

Posted: **06 Feb 2021 00:53**

Is there any way at all to get VLC to either automatically restart the stream/transcode or quit so it can be restarted as a service?
If there isn't - is there a way to test if VLC is transcoding, and if it isn't, kill it somehow?
I've tried VLM, Command like with vlc://quit at the end, telnet - I'm not sure what else to do?

The VideoLAN Forums

Quit VLC on loss of stream

Quit VLC on loss of stream

Re: Quit VLC on loss of stream

Re: Quit VLC on loss of stream

Re: Quit VLC on loss of stream

Re: Quit VLC on loss of stream

Re: Quit VLC on loss of stream

Re: Quit VLC on loss of stream

Re: Quit VLC on loss of stream

Re: Quit VLC on loss of stream

Re: Quit VLC on loss of stream